


Behind the Mask

by Myoneloveismusic



Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU
Genre: M/M, Masquerade Ball, Pre-Relationship, cross-dressing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-19
Updated: 2019-05-19
Packaged: 2020-03-07 15:38:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,130
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18876139
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Myoneloveismusic/pseuds/Myoneloveismusic
Summary: Jason finds someone rather alluring when he's working a case at a masquerade ball. And it really shouldn't be that surprising to find they're closer than he first thinks they are.





	Behind the Mask

Jason pulled at the bowtie around his neck. He tried not to choke at the feeling of the tight fabric around his throat. He hated dressing up in a suit or tux in the first place, but it was made even worse when he was attending fancy social events or galas hosted by Gotham’s elite.

Undercover work was his least favorite part of the vigilante gig. He preferred busting up meetings between kingpins or punching people’s faces in until he got the answers he was looking for. Or shooting them in the leg to make them bleed until they were delirious and willing to tell him anything he wanted if it would make the pain stop.

But whenever some of the elite were involved in shady business or the target of shady business, he had to get dressed up and make polite conversation in a stuffy environment built on the exploitation of the poor and those in need.

Jason sighed and swiped a glass of champagne from a passing tray. He paused, glass halfway to his mouth when he spotted a familiar head of black hair and a giant grin across the room. Even with the masks covering the faces of each guest in attendance, Jason would know Dick anywhere. He was laughing and gesturing with the hand holding his own glass as he spoke with a pair of socialites.

Jason shook his head. He didn’t know why he expected to be the only bat there when the mob was involved, but he was hoping to avoid any kind of confrontation with the rest of them. He could only hope his emerald green mask would be enough to keep any attention from Dick off him.

His mask wasn’t the most elaborate around, but he thanked the universe for small favors that the event was a masquerade ball and all of them could keep under wraps. Even if that made his job harder since he couldn’t see the identities of everyone around him.

Jason took a long drag from his glass and paused again when his eyes landed on the figure at Dick’s elbow. She was standing an inch or two away from him, shoulders relaxed as long fingers wrapped around the bubbling glass of champagne.

Jason looked over her figure appreciatively. Her black, sequenced dress had ruby undertones, a long slit sliding up her thigh and teasing the pale, inviting skin hidden underneath. He glimpsed red stilettos underneath, the heels sharp enough to keep any man on his best behavior for fear of getting one of those through something sensitive.

Soft, black hair framed her face, the edges brushing her jawline. A rich, red mask framed her face and high cheekbones. Jason had no hope of seeing what her eyes looked like, but the lipstick staining her plump mouth reminded Jason of the worst kind of murder scene.

Jason knew he was staying in one spot too long. If she was even the tiniest bit perceptive, she’d notice his eyes on her right away. He didn’t know if that was a good thing or a bad thing. She could either think him insanely creepy or find him just as intriguing.

Jason knocked back the rest of his champagne and set it on another tray that passed behind him. He barely tasted it and shoved his hands into his pockets, pulling his gaze away from the mystery woman as he moved into the crowd to continue his survey of the gala.

He could approach her later when she wasn’t so close to Dick. He could only hope they weren’t there together or he’d never learn what her name was.

~~

Jason stifled a yawn as he took a reprieve behind a potted plant. The small talk was starting to grate on his nerves and he was ready to give up any hope of getting some action, either in the form of a mob attack or from a decent guest at the party, and would rather leave and patrol the streets for something good happening that night.

“Your hiding spot could use some work.”

Jason tensed, mentally cursing himself for letting someone sneak up on him. He had to be more tired than he thought if a civilian was getting the drop on him. He turned and nearly did a double-take when he found the girl from earlier standing at his side.

“I thought hiding behind the snack table was a little cliché. Thought I’d try somewhere new and I’ve been told my mask blends in with the shrubbery,” Jason said with a crooked grin.

She smiled and took a step closer. “The shrubbery was a nice try, but I think you’re more creative than that. There has to be somewhere else you’d rather hide from the masses of stuffy rich people in attendance.”

He shrugged. “I guess you could say that. But considering how well you were getting along with the stuffy rich people earlier, you don’t seem like the kind of person who would consider them to be stuffy.”

Her smile grew wider and she crossed her arms. “So I was right, you were watching me earlier.”

Jason flushed and cleared his throat, shifting from foot to foot. “Well, you see, I…”

She laughed, covering her mouth with the edges of her fingers. “I don’t mind. You’re certainly more exciting than my not-quite date that I brought with me.”

Jason grinned, always happy to one-up Dick even if he couldn’t tell this beautiful woman that. “Since I’m more exciting than your not-quite date, do you think we could make this night more exciting for the both of us?”

She hummed and tilted her head to the side. “What did you have in mind?”

“Oh, maybe doing things the stuffy, rich people way.” Jason took a step back and crossed one arm behind his back as he held out his other, bowing slightly. “Would you do me the honor of sharing a dance with me?”

She giggled again and placed her fingers in his hand. “Of course, Mr…?”

“Drew. You can call me Drew.”

“Mr. Drew,” she purred.

Jason blinked, thinking he might have heard a hint of disappointment hidden under her tone. “And what am I allowed to call you?” he asked, tugging her closer.

She went with him easily, letting herself be guided out from behind the plant. “Emily. Call me Emily.”

“Well then, Emily,” he said, pulling her chest against his as he wrapped an arm around her back. “Shall we dance?”

She huffed and rolled her eyes as they slipped into a gentle waltz among the other dancing elite. Now that she was closer, Jason could see her eyes were a striking, electric blue that practically illuminated her mask.

Jason didn’t take his eyes off her and he was beyond glad she did the same as they moved seamlessly through the crowd, having no trouble stepping around the other couples.

“What brought you here tonight anyway?” Jason asked once his curiosity got the better of him. “You don’t seem to enjoy wining and dining with the elite, so why are you here?”

She shrugged one shoulder. “Why are you?”

Jason raised an eyebrow and she rolled her eyes.

“There are some things I can’t get out of. Consider it a work obligation,” she answered.

Jason nodded. If he had to make a guess, she needed to be in attendance in part for some business deal. It would make sense if she managed to wrangle Dick into being her date. Considering how much he loved performing and his cheery personality, if Emily needed to impress or woo any potential business partners, Dick had the kind of charm to win anyone over to his side.

As to who those business partners were, Jason didn’t give too much thought. He’d been around enough shady people to know that Emily could easily be involved in illegal activity. She knew he’d been watching her earlier and she was vague about her reasons for coming. He didn’t have anything to pin on her yet, but that didn’t mean there wasn’t something there.

Jason barely noticed the pause between one song and the next as the string quartet transitioned between pieces. Neither of them faltered as they moved out of the waltz step into a gentle sway, rotating slowly among the rest of the dancers.

“I can see the gears turning in your head,” Emily said, looking up at him through her eyelashes. “I know you’re trying to figure me out and believe me when I tell you that I’m really not as interesting as you might think I am. I’m actually quite boring if I’m being honest.”

Jason chuckled and spun her around, impressed when she kept up with him, not a stumble in sight.

“You? Boring? Impossible,” he scoffed.

She huffed and shook her head. “I’m serious!”

“I think you’re going to have to convince me. I don’t buy it.”

“What if I told you I’m a workaholic?”

Jason shrugged. “So am I. That doesn’t mean you’re boring.”

“I’m a workaholic, I drink too much coffee, I look like a disaster on the best of days, and I don’t even know what my hobbies are or even if I have them!” she cried, trying to gesture with the hand Jason was holding.

“Well obviously you care enough about your work or you’re interested enough in it that you want to work as much as you do,” he argued.

“Is that why you’re a workaholic?” she challenged.

“Nah, I’m a workaholic because I’m insane.”

“Not much of a reason,” she muttered.

“What’s your favorite movie?” Jason asked, taking pity.

She opened and closed her mouth, staring at him.

“T.V. show? Book? Band?” he shot off when she continued to stare at him. “When was the last time you actually sat down and watched a movie?”

She dropped her gaze, forehead wrinkling in thought. “I…don’t know?” She laughed and looked up at him, eyes shining. “I really don’t know,” she admitted. “Which is kind of ridiculous, but there it is.”

“We need to get you caught up on pop culture,” Jason muttered, turning them towards the edge of the dance floor in the hopes of spending more time with Emily. Preferably with a drink. Or in a dark, secluded corner.

“Promise?” she purred, pressing closer to him.

Jason nearly tripped over his own feet, not expecting her to be so open and honest. “Y-yeah,” he admitted. “I promise. We can start with some classic movies. Maybe order some pizza,” he rambled.

“You mind if we grab a drink?” she asked, putting a halt to Jason’s thoughts.

“Sure, yeah,” Jason agreed. “I’m sure there’s a waiter around here somewhere…”

He turned away from the dance floor, unconsciously slipping his arm around Emily’s back, large palm resting on her hip. He nearly froze at the feeling of her narrow waist under his fingers and fought to keep his mind out of the gutter when his thoughts raced far, far ahead of where he currently was.

“I think I see one over there,” Emily said, using Jason’s hand on her hip to guide him through the crowd.

Jason kept glancing down at her, barely paying any attention to the people around them. His senses were overwhelmed by the woman at his side and he was enthralled. It was a dangerous game to be playing. Especially when she knew nothing about him and Jason wouldn’t be able to share himself with her.

Emily glanced up at him and grinned before she turned and gripped his shoulders, shoving him against the wall. Jason’s eyes went wide. She had strength behind her hold, but Jason knew if he needed to, he’d be able to break out of her grip.

“Emily?” he asked.

“Sorry,” she breathed, fingers wrapping around the back of his neck and tangling in his hair. “I’m not trying to surprise you, but I couldn’t stop thinking about you once I noticed you staring earlier and have been hoping things would go as well as they did.”

Jason swallowed and watched Emily glance down at his lips. He licked his lips and she did the same before dragging her gaze back up to his. Jason tentatively wrapped his arms around Emily’s waist, pulling her flush against him.

“Can I kiss you?” she murmured. “I know it’s not really polite to my date, but I’ve been thinking about it for half the night and we’re running out of time before this Cinderella has to leave the ball and I’d rather not miss my chance.”

Jason nodded, every thought wiped clean from his mind because of the impossible woman wrapped in his arms. He ducked his head, pausing a breath away from her lips. He glanced up to meet her eyes and she nodded.

He closed the last speck of distance, sighing at the feeling of her soft lips. He pulled her closer and sucked on her bottom lip, their masks scraping together. Emily’s fingers tightened in his hair and she tilted her head back, seeking more contact.

Jason eagerly pressed forward, sucking on her bottom lip. Their kiss was gentle and exploratory at first, but quickly turned frantic and desperate and Jason was ecstatic he wasn’t the only one feeling so affected by their proximity.

If he was lucky this didn’t have to end with just one night.

He didn’t know how he’d make it work considering the kind of life he lived, but he was willing to try. He’d never find out what could be if it was never given a chance.

“Emily!”

She reared back, pulling away from Jason’s grip. Jason tried to follow, not wanting the kiss to end just yet. He reluctantly blinked his eyes open and scowled at finding Dick standing several feet away from them, shoulders tense as he eyes darted between them, obviously displeased.

Jason glanced at Emily whose cheeks were red. He could see a smear of red behind the hand she held in front of her lips and knew his lips must be covered in the bright color.

“We should go,” Dick said, glaring at Jason who sneered back.

“R-right,” she muttered, giving one last look back at Jason. “Goodbye Drew.”

Jason nodded, head jerking with the motion. He tried not to let his anger simmer under the surface when Dick placed a large palm on her lower back and herded her through the crowd and away from Jason.

He knew Dick wouldn’t hurt her, but he still didn’t like his attitude.

He let out a shaky breath and closed his eyes, willing his heart to slow down. He glanced at the other guests and stuck to the perimeter of the room as he shuffled towards one of the ballroom’s side doors.

He slipped through the doorway and into the dark hallway beyond, shaking his head before disappearing into the night and hoping that punching a few people’s faces in would be enough to make him feel better.

~~

Jason yanked his helmet off with a growl as he stalked into his bedroom. Patrol had done nothing to soothe his anger or feelings after the gala that night. His run had made him even angrier because he couldn’t get Emily out of his head.

He wanted to feel her lips against his again and keep her close. He hadn’t been entranced by someone in so long and he needed to find her. Even if it was only to see her in passing. He just needed to know she was happy and safe and then he could leave her to her life.

Jason tore at the latches of his uniform, barely caring what happened to it as he threw it back into his closet and pulled on a dirty pair of joggers and foregoing a shirt altogether. He was gross and grimy and would need to take a shower before bed, but he had something else he was going to work on first.

He grabbed his laptop and sat on the couch, propping his feet up on the coffee table. The largest bank in Gotham had been hosting the event and he was really glad they’d been using tablets during guest check-in.

Hacking their general system would be easy and he doubted the gala information and guest list would be under intense security.

Once Jason was through the firewall he started searching the database for anything referencing the gala, a guest list, or the previous day’s date.

It didn’t take him long to find what he was looking for and he was soon staring at a spreadsheet with various colored cells. The names that were in green boxes were the ones in attendance and those in red were those who were absent.

He searched for the name Emily and frowned when nothing came back. He couldn’t really be annoyed that she didn’t tell him her real name considering he hadn’t either. He searched for Dick’s name and was surprised when his did come up. He would’ve thought he would go under an alias, but one of Gotham’s banks having a gala meant he practically had to attend as himself considering how rarely Bruce made public appearances when they weren’t for his own events.

Dick didn’t have another name associated with his attendance, simply a ‘+1’ box that was highlighted green.

Jason scowled. He didn’t want to call Dick and ask who came with him, but he had no other way to track down the woman who was with him.

He sighed and sat forward, swiping his phone from the coffee table. He scrolled through his contacts and winced before he hit dial and put the phone up to his ear.

“Jason!” Dick gushed. “You never call me! How are things going? What’s new with you? What do you need? You’re not hurt, are you? You know you can-”

“Shut up Dickface and listen to me. If you can stop talking for five minutes for once,” Jason snapped.

Dick cackled, voice light like Jason hadn’t just insulted him. But Dick was used to his attitude by now.

“Fine, fine. But seriously, what did you need? You never call me to chat.”

Jason leaned back into his couch cushions and glared at the ceiling.

“Jason?”

He huffed. “Fine, fine. You were at the bank gala last night.”

“What about it?” Dick asked, curiosity piqued.

“I need to know who your plus one was.”

The line was silent for a moment and Jason pulled the phone away from his ear to make sure the call hadn’t dropped.

“You need to what?” Dick asked.

“I need to know who you went with last night.”

Several seconds passed before he started cackling. Jason scowled and pulled the phone away from his ear to avoid going deaf thanks to Dick’s annoying laugh.

“What’s so funny?” he snapped when Dick’s chuckles started to die down.

His question only seemed to make things worse and Dick started snickering and laughing again.

“Seriously, Dickface, just tell me what’s so funny about me wanting to know who your plus one was?”

Dick finally managed to get control of himself, a few chuckles still escaping as he fought to catch his breath.

“Sorry Jason, but I can’t do that.”

“And why not?” he scoffed.

“Let’s just say they’re quite…personal about things. But if it really means that much to you, do your research on expensive lipstick brands. I’m sure… _Emily_ would be flattered if you did a little detective work to earn their attention after capturing it so strongly last night,” Dick said, barely keeping himself under control when his laughter threatened to leave him gasping for breath once again.

“Whatever,” he huffed and ended the call.

He glared at his computer, trying to figure out why Dick reacted the way he did. It wasn’t an outrageous question. It might be a little weird since they didn’t know each other that well before making out, but he couldn’t help himself when she was just so enticing.

“What the hell does he mean by expensive lipstick brands,” he muttered, grabbing his laptop from the table.

Jason settled back into the couch cushions and balanced his computer on his thighs, doing a quick google search of designer lipstick brands.

The list that came back was longer than he would’ve liked and altered the search for Gotham designer lipstick brands.

“Oh she just loves playing games doesn’t she,” he muttered when the new search came back and the first name at the top of the list was “Emily DeLane.”

He clicked on the website and was immediately shown a picture of the designer who didn’t look like the woman he was speaking too. Not narrowing his search down at all was exactly the way he was hoping this would go.

Jason scrolled through the products and nearly choked when he found the only red lipstick listed cost $300.

“Who the hell is this?” he muttered.

He set his computer on the coffee table and pushed himself to his feet. He was going to need ten times the caffeine that was currently flowing through his system-which was currently in the negatives-if he was going to spend the next few hours hacking into this designer’s company’s website to access their transaction history and track down the number of people who’d bought this lipstick.

Jason grabbed the coffee grounds from the cabinet and threw them into the coffeemaker to brew while he took a moment to prepare a sandwich. Coffee would help keep him awake, but he really needed some food if he was going to avoid crashing and burning.

His sandwich was gone by the time the coffee was ready and he knocked back an entire cup before pouring another and taking it back to the couch. He set the coffee on a coaster and made himself comfortable on the floor in front of the coffee table, his back pressed against the couch.

Jason cracked his knuckles over the keyboard and got to work. The mainframe was simple enough to bypass, he’d faced harder challenges when he was learning how to hack in Bruce’s simulations as a kid and that was years ago. He found the sales portion of the website easily enough and nearly rolled his eyes at the transaction history listed for each object.

If he was a business owner, he wouldn’t leave such an obvious footprint on the internet that anyone could come along and copy. The business owners obviously didn’t care that much for their customers if anyone with decent hacking skills could come along and break into their financial records and steal the information of anyone who bought their products.

Jason scrolled down the list of products, growing more and more irritated the longer it took to reach the lipstick. He nearly scrolled past it, since the length was shorter than he expected, not that he should be surprised only a few people could afford such expensive makeup.

He recognized the first few names on the list as some of Gotham’s most notable socialites, but it was the fifth name that gave him pause.

“Tim Drake?” he muttered, mouse hovering over his name.

Tim certainly had the money to buy lipstick, but if it was for an undercover mission, the price on this wasn’t worth it. Not for the small amount of time it would be worn. He’d have better luck in a drugstore buying the cheapest stuff he could find.

Jason knew he wasn’t dating anyone. None of the Bats really dated since that led to a far too complicated life of lying and secrets that would drive even the most well-meaning people away. Tim couldn’t have bought it for anyone. Not even Steph or Cass. Cass didn’t wear makeup and Steph would want something purple.

He paused when a realization hit him and he felt like the biggest idiot in the world.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” he muttered, leaning back against the couch and scrubbing his hands over his face.

Dick’s laughter suddenly made a lot more sense considering Tim had been the one with him the night before. He was the same height and build and Jason realized he should’ve recognized his blue eyes. Or at the least the uncanny strength he had compared to his dainty looking appearance.

He never knew Tim could be so sassy or snarky when he wanted to be. He huffed and shook his head, closing out of Emily DeLane’s website. He pushed himself to his feet and walked into his bedroom, shoving his sweats off and pulling on a pair of jeans and his boots. He slipped on a shirt and slid his arms through the sleeves of his leather jacket.

Jason strode through his apartment to the living room windows and disabled his security, slipping out onto the fire escape. He crouched, making sure everything was in place before he jumped down to the level below, a hop in his step as he descended the stairs.

It was early in the day on a Sunday. Most of Gotham’s college students were recovering from their nights spent partying and the elite social class hadn’t quite pulled themselves from their homes yet unless they had brunch dates to keep.

Jason’s boots hit the floor of the alley with a soft crunch and he pulled the protector from his bike. He pulled his helmet out from under the seat and slid it onto his head, snapping the buckle into place under his chin.

He threw one leg over the bike and settled into the seat, bringing it to life with a low rumble. He pushed off the kickstand and rolled to the end of the alley, making sure the street was clear before he eased off the brake and hit the gas, jumping forward and into the turn before straightening easily and flying down the street.

Jason expected Tim to be in either one of two places: his apartment-which was the most likely unless he was absolutely exhausted from the night before-or he decided to stay at the Manor. Staying at the Manor was less likely even if he was exhausted considering his habits of pushing himself to the brink in favor of getting work done.

And since no one showed up with guns at the Gala, Tim was probably hard at work doing more research to track the group behind the threats and shady business dealings to get some evidence as to their activities for the police to make their arrests.  

Jason leaned into the next turn, glancing up at the quickly approaching skyscraper apartments that were still dwarfed by the W.E. offices the next street over.

He revved the engine and slipped past cars dutifully following the speed limit. The light ahead of him changed to yellow and he pushed forward, nearly skidding through the next turn after taking it so fast, but he made it through the intersection before the light turned red so he couldn’t much care.

Jason slowed as he approached Tim’s apartment. He turned into the underground parking garage and found a small space that wasn’t meant for any vehicle to be parked there, but he had other concerns he needed resolved first. And it was early enough no one would come looking just yet.

He punched the up arrow on the elevator and had his hands raised to slip into his jacket pockets when the doors slid open. He blinked and shrugged, shoving one of his hands into his pocket as he stepped inside. He smashed the button for the top floor and leaned against the back wall, watching the doors slide closed before he felt the elevator rise underneath him.

Jason expected to start feeling nervous as soon as he got to Tim’s apartment. He hadn’t really thought any of this through, but he was always better at jumping into fights rather than thinking through a battle plan.

He knew what he wanted and that’s all that mattered. It didn’t really matter if it was Tim in that dress and he wasn’t being completely honest and forthcoming because Jason was lying just as much as he was that night and putting on his own act. But he’d glimpsed a shred of the pieces of Tim he never got to see and he wouldn’t mind getting to know him just that little bit better.

The elevator slowed and dinged as they reached the top floor. Jason blinked his eyes open, not realizing he’s closed them as he ascended the building. He rolled his shoulders and stepped out of the elevator, eyes focused on the door at the end of the hallway.

He strode past the other apartment doors, not caring about them or the occupants within. All that mattered was Tim hiding behind the door at the end of the hallway. But he wasn’t going to let him run away or hide from this.

Tim had something to face and Jason was going to make him face it, because he wanted to face it too.

He raised his hand and rapped on the door, keeping it as light and nonthreatening as possible. He was sure Tim had cameras in the hallway that he couldn’t see with the naked eye. It was the type of behavior he would pick up from Bruce and he could only hope that Tim would still open the door and let him in.

A few moments passed before the door was pulled open a crack and he was met with a very confused looking Tim.

“Jason?” he asked. “What are you doing here?”

He shrugged and shoved his hands into his pockets. “I had something I needed to talk to you about.”

Tim nodded and belatedly stepped to the side, pulling the door open wider to let Jason walk in. Jason nodded and slipped past him, his heart starting to pound in his chest when the door was shut behind him and they were finally alone.

“Is it about a case?” Tim asked, walking past him towards the kitchen where Jason could see a steaming mug of coffee sitting next to his laptop at the kitchen island. He walked around the back of the island and planted one hand on the island, reaching for his coffee with his other.

“You could say that,” Jason hedged, trailing after him. “It has to do with a case I’ve been working on.”

He looked Tim up and down. His hair was messy and pushed back with a black headband. He had on a pair of sweats and an oversized tank, one of the straps nearly sliding off his shoulder.

Tim nodded. “Do you need intel or extra backup?” he asked, taking a sip of his coffee and meeting his eyes over the rim. Jason was once again amazed he had no idea Tim was in front of him at the gala, not when he saw him clear as day now.

“No, nothing like that.”

Tim frowned and set his mug on the table. “Then what do you need?”

Jason sighed and turned away, pacing in front of the kitchen island as he fought to claw back a little of his nerve that brought him here in the first place.

“I was doing some undercover work recently at the masquerade gala. Nothing happened so didn’t really get any new leads on the guys I’m going after…”

“So, you do need intel,” Tim said, an odd note to his voice.

Jason glanced away, hiding his smile before he wiped it from his face.

“Of sorts,” he admitted, enjoying feeling cryptic for a moment. “I saw Dick there working the same case as me and he had someone with him that I thought I’d never seen before.”

“And you’re trying to track down this girl?” Tim asked.

Jason’s heart skipped over itself as he turned to face Tim. “I never said that someone was a girl.”

Tim went still. As still as if he was being stealthy in the shadows to avoid detection, like he was hoping Jason’s gaze would somehow slide right past him despite the two of them being engaged in conversation.

“I didn’t understand it at first. I tried finding the name she gave me on the registry, but there was no one by that name. Then I went to Dickface and couldn’t for the life of me understand why he thought it was so hilarious that I wanted to know the ID of his plus-one so badly. It made sense when I did a little bit of digging into Gotham’s designer makeup companies and found the transaction history for a pricey tube of red lipstick.”

Tim hadn’t moved a muscle since he started talking, but Jason could tell he was thinking through every escape route out of his apartment and ready to bolt now that Jason had cornered him.

“Tim,” he sighed.

Tim jolted and jerked backwards, back slamming into the counter behind him.

“Tim, whatever it is you’re worried about, you really don’t need to be.”

Tim stared at him for a moment before barking a hysteric laugh. “Don’t need to be worried?” he scoffed. “First of all, I put on a practically obscene dress and heels-and enjoyed every bit of it, might I add-I cornered you and kissed you when you had no idea who I was or what I was doing there. I think that constitutes plenty of reasons to be worried.”

He crossed his arms over his chest and hunched his shoulders, trying to make himself as small as possible in the hopes he could sink through the floor and disappear.

“There’s nothing wrong with enjoying wearing dresses and heels,” Jason argued. He felt himself flush. “I mean, you looked pretty amazing in what you were wearing so you should feel confident about looking gorgeous at least…”

Tim stared at him, his mouth opening and closing.

“And as far as the kissing thing went,” he continued, face growing hotter, “it wasn’t bad if that’s what you were worried about. You’re actually a really good kisser and I got to see a more fun and relaxed side of you that I hadn’t seen before-at least I’m assuming I did-and I really, really wouldn’t mind getting to know you a little better because, since I’m being so honest here, I had a lot of fun in the few hours that we got to spend together and, yeah…that’s it, I guess.”

He let out a long breath and glanced at Tim before glancing away and then back. Tim stared at him, trying to comprehend everything that had happened in a matter of seconds. His interest in dresses and makeup was something he kept tucked in the far corners of himself.

Jason ran a hand through his hair as the moments stretched on. “That’s all I basically came to say so it would be great if you could either tell me it’s not weird between us now or you can kick me out of your apartment for overstepping my boundaries. The choice is definitely up to you, but-mph!”

Jason blinked at Tim’s too-close face. Tim’s lips were as soft as he remembered them being and tasted better now that there wasn’t the bitter hint of lipstick on his tongue.

Before Tim could even think about breaking the kiss-because Jason knew that was going to be his reaction if he didn’t do something soon-he wrapped his arms around Tim’s back and pulled him tightly against him.

He tilted his head forward, forcing Tim’s head back to deepen the kiss and when Tim sucked on his lower lip, Jason let a happy groan rumble in the back of his throat. He slid his hands along Tim’s back and down to his thighs, fingers digging into the muscle before he lifted Tim from the floor.

Tim wrapped his legs around Jason’s waist and Jason closed the last few steps to the kitchen island, setting Tim on the edge, but not letting him get any further away. He tangled the fingers of one hand in the long strands of Tim’s hair and flattened the palm of his other hand on Tim’s lower back, keeping him pressed against him.

Tim’s fingers slid up through the back of his hair, nails lightly scratching along his scalp. Jason hummed and swiped his tongue along Tim’s bottom lip, almost surprised when Tim parted his lips for him.

He wasn’t sure exactly what this meant between them besides a mutual attraction and fascination with each other’s mouths. But he was more than happy to keep kissing Tim as long as he was willing.

They could figure out the rest later. And if Jason was lucky, he could get Tim to wear a few more dresses for him to look real pretty.

**Author's Note:**

> [Tumblr](http://my-one-love-is-music.tumblr.com/)
> 
> [Twitter](https://twitter.com/m_o_l_i_m)


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